Ukraine mine toll rises to five

President Viktor Yushchenko wants the mine shut for investigations

Five miners have now died from Sunday's blast at the Ukrainian coal mine where 101 lives were lost two weeks ago in the country's worst mining accident.

Ukraine's mining inspectorate said the men were maintenance workers clearing debris from the earlier blast at the Zasyadko mine in eastern Donetsk.

Sunday's methane gas explosion also left 66 people injured. Another blast on Saturday had hurt more than 40.

President Viktor Yushchenko has called for the pit to be closed.

He demanded the mine be shut until officials investigated the blasts.

Correspondents say local people want any closure to be restricted to the worst affected section of the facility.

Ukraine has had a series of mining accidents since the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991.

In September 2006 a gas leak at the Zasyadko mine killed 13 miners and injured dozens more.